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, ENGLANDS MOST POPULAR HANDICAPS. Items in the History of the First Annual Long-Distance Race of ths Kind. There was a time when the Trade, as the licensed victuallers business is called, held a more influential position in social and political economy than it does now, but amidst its various vicissitudes the sporting instinct has always remained strong. "Bung," irreverently and somewhat contemptuously so termed by some folks, gave his patronage to sports of various kinds, and continues in no stinted me.isurc to do so. To racing he is generally seriously inclined, and the licensed victuallers of long years ago expressed their interest in it in the most tangible fashion by giving monetary support to the Great Metropolitan Stakes at Epsom. Established in 1S4G, we find the race described as "a bonus of 300 sovereigns by the subscription of the licensed victuallers of London and their friends, added to a handicap sweepstakes of 10 sovereigns each." A few years later the bonus was increased to 500 sovereigns added. Ave are informed, "by the contributions of the lovers of the national sport of racing resident in the city of London and metropolitan districts, together with gratuities from and subscriptions received by the licensed victuallers of the metropolis," and the winner paid 10 guineas to the Licensed Victuallers School and 10 guineas to the Licensed Victuallers Asylum. Nowadays, as is known, the race does not depend upon subscriptions from licensed victuallers, nor is anything given from it to their charities. The handicap has always been a popular one, and, as was inevitable, its decision was made the occasion of a merry outing by kecpersxof hos-telries and their frincds. They were well seconded by the general public, and for long it vied for favor with the City and Suburban, which was instituted a few years after the "Metrop. It is one of the prettiest races of the season to watch a feature much to its advantage but in these days it takes a lower place in public estimation i i than the City and Suburban, and does not give rise now to any ante-post speculation. j i The Great Metropolitan includes some distinguished names in its list of winners, and reference to some , I of them was made in our note on the City and Suburban. Among them is Virago, which did such great things as a three-year-old, and another St. Albans, which was also successful at that age, and subsequently accounted for the Doncaster St. Leger. In 1851 Parmesan destined to become famous as a sire placed the stake to the credit of Mr. II. Savile, who was a generous patron of the turf and in a later year won the Derby and Grand Prize of Paris with Cremorae. In the "sixties" also Treasure Trove, a three-year-old that had previously won the Lincolnshire Handicap under 77 pounds, scored here with S4 pounds inclusive of the penalty he had earned on the Carholnie, and in 1SGS Mr. Savile took the race with the three-year-old Blueskin, which later in his career was often useful over a distance of ground. In addition to Mornington to which allusion was made in connection with the "City". Mr. Bradley won the race with Endsleigh in 1807, and an owner to take the stake on three occasions was Mr. Graham winner of the Oaks with Regalia in 1805, with Formosa three years later and with Gamos in 1870, whose Drummer, Sabinus and Captivator were successful in 18C9, 1S70 and 1S71 respectively. The Drummer was a useful three-year-old that had been talked about in connection with the Derby, for which he ran third to Pretender and Pero Gomez, and Sabinus was a gelding of the same age that carried the same weight 93 pouuds as The Drummer. Sabinus had the day previously won the City and Suburban under 77 pounds, and netted a big sum in bets for his party, and he scored still more easily over the longer distance. He subsequently gave further evidence of his staying quali-; ties by winning the Beaufort Cup at Bath, over two miles and a half, and the Gold Cup at Ascot, for which he was a post entry a rather unfair system of nomination long since discarded. These later victories showed what "good things" his party had at Epsom with their candidate at the bottom of the handicaps, even though Sabinus had to put up a penalty in the Great Metropolitan for his success the preceding afternoon. Hampton was another winner of the "Metrop at three years of age, and, as is well known, he not only made a name for himself on the racecourse, but became a noted sire with many classic winners to his name. At Epsom he was the property of the late James Nightingall, and as he had previously- won at Croydon he was mulcted in a penalty. Hampton ultimately passed into the possession of Lord Ellesmere, for whom he vxroA tL number of races, and proved an acquisition at the stud. Chippendale successful in 1880 was also a winner of good class, and had shown he could stay by carrying off the Cesarewitch the previous year ns a three-year-old with 75 pounds, and another Cesarewitch winner to earn brackets later in the Ei-som race was Raginmundc,- though in his case both victories were achieved as a three -year-old. i i i , I In the course of its history four horses have won the Great Metropolitan twice Tissaphernes in 18S8 and 18S9, Kings Messenger in 1S99 and 1900. Father Blind in 1907 and 1U0S, and Annecy in 1913 and 1914. Tissaphernes was the property of Mr. II. T. Barclay, of Bendigo fame, but there was nothing much to praise in cither of his performances, as he only carried 102 pounds as a four-year-old and 107 pounds at live years. He was among those that were backed on the first occasion, 10 to 1 being obtainable about him on the second, but his career had nothing of much distinction about it. In favor of Kings Messenger more can be said. He had shown form as a two and three-year-old, and at the latter age won the Goodwood Cup an indication that he could be trusted to negotiate the distance at Epsom. As as the Newmarket Craven he had only been beaten a length over a mile and a half with 125 pounds, he seemed nicely in at Epsom with 10S pounds, he seemed canter with a pound less than St. Bris the Cesarewitch winner of three years previously, which he defeated by a half dozen lengths. Father Blind had been somewhat useful in his first and second seasons, and supplied in 1907 one of the many instances in connection with the race of a lightly weighted four-year-old being successful. There had been nothing in his only performance prior to the Great Metropolitan to indicate his chance, and though he only had 85 pounds to carry he was allowed to start at 20 to 1, thus doing the fielders a good turn. He did not win again that year, and towards its close was passed on by Mr. Peebles to Mr. L. B. Beauehamp, whose colors he carried at Epsom in 190S. It was another case of "horse for courses" for he won in a canter by five lengths for his new owner,- again not being over-burdened as a five-year-old with 109 pounds. He followed up his victory at Epsom with another at Kempton, but his subsequent career was undistinguished, though he essayed to win many other races over a distance of ground. Annecy supplied a similar case to that of Father Blind, as he won as a four and five-year-old, under weights differing but slightly from those carried by the son of Father Confessor and Sun-blind. Though failing to earn a bracket as a juvenile, Annecy was quite a fair performer at three years, but his exploits were confined to Ireland, where he won four races for Mr. G. W. Lushington, and afterwards changed hands privately. For his new owner he won the Great Metropolitan the first time of carrying his colors, starting a well-backed candidate at 7 to 1. He only had SO pounds in the saddle, and fought out the issue with a pair of lightly-weighted ones in Golden Rock and Win-thorpe. Annecy again changed hands before another Great Metronolitan came around, and. as was the case the previous year, he made his first appearance for his new owner in that race, which he won just as easily as in 1913, starting at 100 to 8 and carrying 111 pounds. In 1903 the "Metrop" was associated with an unusual feature, the race being run twice and won by Wavelets Pride each time. In the first instance the race was claimed on the ground that the horses that finished in front of Parody had gone the wrong course. This was not disputed, but as the judge had not placed Parody the stewards decided that the race should be run over again. The second time when ony five ran instead of nine Wavelets Pride came in first, Parody second and Florinda third. Before and after the Epsom race Wavelets Pride shewed himself at home when there was some ground to cover, among other events for which he accounted being the Doncaster Cup, and he was reckoued to have a chance for the valuable Prix du Conseil Municipal at Paris, for which, however, he had to put up witli second place o that good mare La Camargo, which gave him seventeen poounds and an easy beating. London Sportsman.
